Rev. David F. Gaffney, Pastor

sbc.pastor@aol.com Rev. John E. Unsworth, Pastor, Emeritus Rev. Charles Maher, Weekend Assistant

Pastoral Assistant: Angelo Giacchi Business Manager: David Cote Elementary Faith Formation: Dawn Masterson Youth Faith Formation: Christina Pichette Music Director: Alison Shea

Mass Schedules

Weekends Saturday Vigil ~ 5:00 PM

Sundays 7:00 AM 8:30 AM 10:30 AM

Weekdays 8:00 AM Monday through Friday

Address: 275 Tower Hill Road North Kingstown, RI 02852 Phone : 401-295-0387 E-mail: sbc.bus@verizon.net Web: www.stbernardnk.org Hours: Mon - Tues: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Wednesday 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Thursday & Friday: Closed

Baptism: Please call Angelo at the Parish Center for information about scheduling and preparation. Communion Please notify us of those sick and to the Sick: in need of Communion at home. Marriage: Please call 10 months in advance. Holy Orders: Tel: 401-831-8011 www.catholicpriest.com Project Rachel: Post abortion counseling Tel: 401-421-7833, ext. 118 Sacrament of Reconciliation: Saturdays 4:00 PM

Eucharistic Adoration Following Tuesday’s 8:00 AM Mass until 11:00 AM

Family Faith Formation Program Our programs provides parishioners of all ages oppor-tunities for learning, growing and living our Faith through common experiences, age-specific learning and interactive sharing. Please call the Parish Center for information regarding any of our programs or email:

Grades: 1 to 5: sbc.reled@verizon.net

Grades: 6 to 10: sbc.teenff@gmail.com

Saint Bernard Church

May 2, 2021 Fifth Sunday of Easter

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Ponderings

On Saturday, May 1st we celebrated First Holy Communion in the parish with a group of our second grad-ers and their families. It is a day of great excitement for the families. I assured them that it is also a joyful day for the parish! We welcome them to the “table of the Lord” and pray they will receive the Eucharist regularly to strengthen them, guide them and protect them. Of the many things that a parent can give a child----preparation to receive their First Holy Communion is at the top of the list! I invite you for a moment to reflect on the day of your First Holy Communion. Recall who was there. Re-call how you were dressed----the special clothes of that occasion! Recall how you felt when you received Jesus for the First Time in receiving the Eucharist! I received my First Holy Communion when I was a student at St. Lawrence Elementary School in the Cen-terdale section of North Providence. Sister Rose Joseph, SUSC (who was my first-grade teacher) prepared us as second graders to receive First Holy Communion. I have a photo (somewhere!?) of me in shirt and tie, with suit-jacket-----and big smile! This was a special day! My elementary school closed when I was about to go into the fourth grade and never knew what had happened to Sr. Rose Joseph. When I started teaching at St. Raphael Academy in 1981 there were several religious sisters from that religious order on the faculty (S.U.S.C.----the initials of the order). I was told that Sr. Rose Joseph had returned to her ‘family name’---Sr. Beatrice Rogers---who was then working parish ministry to the elderly in Central Falls. We were able to meet and speak about those days----my elementary school days! Sister came to my ordi-nation in 2000. I recall how special it was to have the person who prepared me to receive Holy Commun-ion to be at my ordination. A few years later I concelebrated a Mass marking her 50th anniversary of reli-gious life. Not so long I was celebrating Mass at the former St. Matthew Church (not Holy Spirit Catholic Community) and saw Sr. Bea again! I encourage our parents to bring their children to Mass to receive Holy Communion on a regular basis! During this past year of the pandemic many people were only able to take part in our celebration of the Mass virtually----watching from home----making a spiritual communion. How important it is to return to Mass in person (as our health allows) -----and why is that? First, we are able to receive the Eucharist-----as our second graders experienced for the first time on May 1st! The Eu-charist-----the very Body and Blood of Jesus is a gift unlike any other. Second, we are able to come to-gether as a community. We are a people who are gathered together by Jesus each week to participate in the Mass. Our Liturgy Documents call for “full, active and conscious’ participation in our Mass. Many people are returning to our weekend Masses----as you are able, come back! Restrictions are being lifted----we continue to join together safely, with masks, hands sanitized, etc. We look forward to your re-turn to this community of faith, where Jesus, the Bread of Life, is our center! Congratulations Second Graders and your parents and families------see you in Church…….to receive Jesus again and again and again….in the Eucharist! Fr. Gaffney

Bryce Bjorklund Giovanni Casala Isabella Finlay Leo Gustafson Chloe Harrington

Lila Hendrickson Mason King Wes Lund Luke Mezzanotte Alexander Morosetti

Keira Oakley Liliana Reardon Emma Schatz Darcy Whitney Maggie Wilson

First Eucharist Class 2021

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Mass Intentions

MONDAY, May 3 8:00 AM – Neil Mishik by Sal & Linda Sanfilippo

TUESDAY, May 4 8:00 AM – Rev. George Allard

WEDNESDAY, May 5 8:00 AM – Michael Murtagh by the Cannon family

THURSDAY, May 6 8:00 AM – Rev. Raymond Luft

FRIDAY, May 7 8:00 AM The Deceased of the Parish

WEEKEND MASS SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, May 8 5:00 PM – William McLaughlin by his family

SUNDAY, May 9 7:00 AM – Frank Cardillo by his family

8:30 AM – Florence Fulford

10:30 AM – Catherine Storti and Robert Storti by her husband & his brother

On Sunday April 25, 2021

Emma Rose Quirk

was welcomed to our parish through the Sacra-ment of Baptism. We congratulate her parents.

Catholic Charity Appeal. Our goal for this year is $80,750. To date contri-butions from parishioners have totaled $53,356 which is approximately 66% of goal. Thank you for your generosity! Beneficiaries of the Appeal include youth, elderly, seminarians, homeless, and so many more! Envelopes with donations can be placed in the collection baskets and we will for-ward them to the Chancery Office.

Online Giving

We offer an online option that complements our offering envelope use. By signing up to give your weekly offertory and special collections online, you will help the parish more accurately forecast our finances and plan more strategically. Online Giving is a safe, secure and dependable means of income for the parish. Visit www.stbernardnk.org, click on “Support your Parish” for more infor-mation.

Parish Support

April 18, 2021 2020

Basket $5,599.00 $2,885.00 ACH $2,916.00 $2,642.00

April 25, 2021 2020

Basket $5,473.00 $6,200.00 ACH $1,904.00 $2,555.50 YTD $400,984.00 $402,645.15

Parish Support

We are truly grateful to the many members of the Parish who have been so faithful and gener-ous in using ACH accounts or mailing in their budget envelopes to help support the finances of the Parish. You can send us one check for your entire month’s donation or you can open an ACH account by going to our website:. In-structions and the Online Giving link can be found on our website: www.stbernardnk.org/support-your-parish

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Progressive Jackpot Raffle A SUCCESS! And a NEW OPPORTUNITY! We have sold the 250 tickets for the raffle. They sold at a fast pace---all were sold before the end of April! The drawing is on Monday, May 31st, Memorial Day. Thank you for your support. The opportunity is a SECOND RAFFLE with the same prize schema and cost. This drawing will happen on Sunday, July 4th. We need to sell at least 100 tickets to make this “Part II” Progres-sive Jackpot Raffle work. And then the prizes increase as the number of tickets purchased in-creases! We want to give all of you an oppor-tunity to support this parish fund raiser! So—please continue to send in your raffle ticket re-quests! Thanks!

Changes are Coming With some of the Covid restrictions being elimi-nated by the State of Rhode Island we are now able to make some changes to accommodate the increasing number of people who are returning to church. We will continue to wear masks in church. We will continue to ask you to sanitize your hands on entering. Stay tuned! We want to be safe. We also know we can now accommo-date more people. Changes will be made during the month of May according to the State of Rhode Island timetable and the guidance we re-ceive from the diocese.

Golf Tournament Planning Meeting

We will have a planning meeting for a Fall golf tournament on Monday, May 17th at 6:30 p.m. in the parish center. Several parishioners have indicated an interest in working on this project. Maybe you are an “experienced” golf tourna-ment coordinator! Here’s an opportunity to share your “talents” with our parish. We need your help! Mark your calendar: MONDAY, MAY 17TH at 6:30 p.m. Thank you!

Emmanuel House Homeless Shelter

We are always in need of new socks, bath towels, and backpacks, twin-sized bedding, etc. Drop off items in the Church gathering space or at the Par-ish Center.

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Faith Formation 2020-2021

North Kingstown Food Pantry Your financial donations help stock the Pantry’s shelves. These donations stretch the pantry’s food dollar because they can purchase food at deeply discounted prices from the Rhode Island Community Food Bank and from generous local partners in the food industry. Food donations can be brought to the Church and placed in the bins in the gathering space. For more information please visit:

www.nkfoodpantry.org/

Eucharistic Adoration

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament takes place immediately after the morning Mass on Tuesdays(approximately 8:30 a.m.) Benediction and repo-sition at 11:00 a.m. This is an opportunity for quiet, prayerful reflection before the Blessed Sac-rament.

Important reminders and upcoming events

Gospel Weeklies

5/16/2021 - ALL GRADES Gospel Weeklies Unit 4 Assessment due

Confirmation Candidates

5/16/2021 - Grade 9 Confirmation Gr. 9 Class Meet (4-5pm)

High School Seniors We are inviting all High School Seniors to a special Mass of Graduation which will be held on Sunday, May 23rd at the 10:30AM Mass. During the Mass the graduating Seniors will be recognized and receive a special blessing. Those seniors who have served in our Parish since their Confirmation will also be recog-nized with the Youth Ministry Award. If you have a High School Senior, please RSVP by Wednesday, March 12th to Christina at sbc.teenff@gmail.com. Please let her know their plans for next year and how many people will be accompanying them to Mass. Thank you.

Remember St. Bernard Church in your will and estate planning. Thank you.